Mariska Hargitay’s Memorable On-Screen Romance in Law & Order: SVU
Law & Order: SVU experienced a significant shift with the departure of Christopher Meloni, which opened up new avenues for Mariska Hargitay’s character, Olivia Benson. This included exploring potential love interests, but one particular on-screen relationship left a lasting impression on Hargitay.
Olivia Benson’s Surprising Relationship
Following Meloni’s exit, Hargitay’s Olivia Benson encountered a few romantic partners. Among these was a familiar face: Robert John Burke’s Ed Tucker. Tucker, a stoic and no-nonsense Narcotics officer, had been a part of the series since season 3, often clashing with Benson and her former partner, Elliott Stabler. As the series evolved, so did Tucker’s relationship with Benson, culminating in a brief but impactful romance.
However, showrunner Warren Leight and the production team decided that the relationship had run its course. This decision wasn’t made lightly, as it was a tough call for everyone involved, especially Hargitay.
“It was a very difficult decision to break up Benson and Tucker. We all love Bobby Burke so much, and we loved the dynamic between him and Mariska,” executive producer Julie Martin told The Hollywood Reporter. “Mariska was involved in the discussions, and it was difficult for her as well, because she loves acting with Bobby Burke and loved the storyline.”
Challenges in Writing the Relationship
One reason for ending their relationship was the complexity of writing their love scenes.
“When we began breaking stories for this season, trying to incorporate that relationship, we realized there just wasn’t enough time to delve deeply, to really explore their relationship issues, to do them justice, like This Is Us does so well, for example,” Martin explained.
Given Tucker’s previous portrayal as a hard-nosed character, his transition to a love interest seemed unconventional. However, Leight saw potential in adding depth to Tucker’s character.
“I know the fans have very strong feelings about anything involving Olivia,” Leight said in a separate interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “But we knew Tucker would be loaded. I think for the first dozen years on this show, he was Javert from Les Miz – the relentless, evil prosecutor who couldn’t see the good in anyone. The show had a tendency to be a little more black-and-white so he was a bad guy. A lot of what my now-ending reign has been about is about going for the grey and over time, I think Olivia had come to see him differently.”
Leight acknowledged that he could have introduced a new character as a love interest but was more intrigued by Tucker’s potential.
“Every time these two are in a scene together, I lean in. I said, ‘Let’s use him more.’ It evolved out of that,” he said. “We just tried to show that this was a human being over time.”
Martin echoed these sentiments, noting that a Tucker-Benson pairing allowed Benson to experience a genuine relationship rather than fleeting flings.
“I think she felt that they had pretty good chemistry too,” Martin said about Hargitay.
Conclusion
Mariska Hargitay’s character, Olivia Benson, had a notable and unexpected romantic journey with Ed Tucker, adding depth to both characters and the series. This relationship, though brief, was a significant chapter in Benson’s story, reflecting the evolving dynamics of Law & Order: SVU.